


I had an Inkling

by vexedstars



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Short & Sweet, Slice of Life, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:21:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29992428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vexedstars/pseuds/vexedstars
Summary: If there's anything that Prompto is good at, is the fact he takes things in a stride: this includes but is not limited to trying not to fail courses, late night cramming sessions, surviving the ins and outs of college networking, and the sweet unexpected encounters that are honestly, note worthy.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum
Kudos: 19





	I had an Inkling

**Author's Note:**

> Started this fic approximately last year(?) and for some reason felt the need to finish the rest today. If I made it any longer than this, it probably wouldn't have seen the light of day for another year or something LMAO, regardless hope you like it!

Prompto has no time, but does that ever stop him from procrastinating? Never!

Because that's who he is and because he's in his third year in college and he has got this down to a science, he knows how to delicately balance that chaotic stupidity and actually being a good student. So when he ponders Lunafreya's invitation to help out with her club in between the block breaks of his class, he readily accepts especially when Noctis chimes in with the deal of some late night study pizza for free.

Obviously he could easily buy his own pizza but there's just something about being on campus late at night and hanging out with his bud in the pizza place near the dorms and just trying to ignore how they're gonna be swamped by exams next week and there’s gonna be a point in which Prompto will probably stress cry in the shower at least three times minimum. And as much as he complains and whines about how professors have this innate ability to time all their assignments and tests to be around the same week, Prompto also just loves the other side things about college that makes things just a bit more bearable.

Such as this, as he arrives at the booth that Lunafreya and her club has rented out for the time being of today and he notes the trifold in full display as well as the little flyers with advertisements of their club event later in the month. It’s cute, he notes, even though the cutting skills on the flyers could use some help but he notices how with each flyer there’s a lovely bag of sweets that he’s sure students wouldn’t mind accepting when he plans to go after them like an annoying door to door salesman.

Lunafreya is already too busy to really notice when Prompto arrives, but Noctis is there, of course he is, sitting in a chair behind the trifold that’s on the table as if one were trying to hide, which in his case, he probably is.

Prompto goes in for a high five, which Noctis returns without even glancing up, and then looks blankly around. “So what’s this club again?”

“Mental Health Advocacy,” Noctis answers easily. “We thought we’d get on advertising for our event later this month since everyone’s probably stressed and not taking care of their health during this time.”

Prompto snorts. He’s not wrong. He tries not to think about how last night, he stayed up out of sheer fear and nothing else because time was ticking down for when he has to deal with exams.

“And the sticky notes?” Prompto questions, his head tilting to the stack on the table and the multitude of pens and markers that are spread around it.

Lunafreya, having finally been passed the metaphorical baton to take care of the booth by another student--probably from the same club, probably has class now that they have to go to, has now finally noticed Prompto there and sends him a smile.

He smiles back and shoots her finger guns, to which she laughs.

“We thought it’d be nice to get anyone who can to write down a compliment, piece of advice, or just something positive for others and if we can get the green light with administration, we’ll post it around lockers and walls after for others to read,” Lunafreya explains, and then without even a pause, she turns towards an unknowing student who happens to be passing by to ask them of that very thing and then also passes them a flyer in the process.

 _She really is a communications major_. Prompto notes, before he shoulders off his backpack and pushes it behind Noctis.

“Alright,” Prompto says, cracking his knuckles. “Which department should I go to?”

There’s an art to advertising especially when it comes to clubs. Most students if any, are usually established in their schedules and respective interests so if they aren’t in a club already, they probably don’t really give a shit. Prompto is one of them but he likes to help and he’s good at being friendly now with all his years part-time in customer service, since high school.

It was established that while their booth was in a good placement for foot traffic, given how most students tend to be in a rush for their next class, there’s not too much attention being drawn towards their table despite the fact Lunafreya’s quite unruly in being someone who zeroes in on a target and then pulls them right in for a chat, all the while telling them it’ll only take a few moments of their time. Noctis on the other hand, had graduated from his chair to a leaning position against the table, and sometimes passes out flyers to anyone who gets close enough but even with his effort and albeit good looks that naturally draws in others, the two aren’t making much ground on their own which is why Prompto is now deemed the travelling merchant.

It’s easy enough though. There’s many spots of study tables and hang out hubs that Prompto knows are filled with students who aren’t rushing to get anywhere anytime soon and he just works his magic by sliding right into an empty chair and chats enthusiastically about the spiel that Lunafreya had taught him only thirty minutes ago.

Most are friendly about it, and let him talk while filling out the sticky notes that he’s given them to write on, while others shoot him a strange look. He’s used to it though, so it doesn’t deter him. Though he rationalizes it’s probably because after people are finished writing sticky notes, he just sticks them to his body for safekeeping until he’s back at the booth. In a way too, it’s good because it’s a great conversation starter for anyone who’s curious enough to ask. The ones however with the strange looks, he specifically targets after a while and tells them that maybe they should write two positive notes (“For the kids,” Prompto says, nodding solemnly.).

While his adventures sends him to the psychology department at one point, Prompto finds himself in the kinesiology wing now with Noctis beside him because after a while of going back and forth from building to booth, Lunafreya surmises that Noctis will be more of a help with him than with her especially when one of their other club member, a cutie pie by the name of Cindy arrives with a cheerful deposition and honey drawl that pulls people in like bees to flowers.

Prompto is inclined to agree when Noctis trails after him with an air of nonchalance even though he’s become much like a pack mule, holding all the essentials as Prompto continues his tirade about mental health. Noctis doesn’t seem to mind it and that’s enough for Prompto to also start sticking notes on him too when he starts to run out of space on his own clothes.

They’re quite the look, the two of them slide into a table, near the cafe that’s by the gymnasium and a group of dudes look up confused from their lunch at the extra people now at their spot.

Prompto just grins undeterred, and ignores how there’s a sticky note placed on his cheek by Noctis just a minute earlier now in his peripheral vision.

“Hey there! I’m from the Mental Health Advocacy club and I was wondering if you guys would love to spread some positivity around campus!” Prompto takes a moment here to pass them sticky notes that’s being passed to him by Noctis and then hands them pens before they even have a chance to say no. “We’ll be posting them on lockers just to brighten up someone’s day. You can write whatever, from some mental health advice, to just some compliment or something. Basically anything you’d want to hear during exam season!”

Prompto then stands up, and with a flourish of his hand, showcases his body towards the trio and points at Noctis as well. “As you can see here, these are just the many examples.”

During this time, he doesn’t even make eye contact with them, robotically going through the same speech that he’s rehearsed for the better part of this day and so he misses out on the fact that well...this group is attractive.

His mind just goes into panic mode, you know, just for a hot second before a shaky grin appears on his face again. He’s ignoring how one of them in particular, muscled and showing a rad ass tattoo that spans his shoulders and there’s not much else to be hidden given how he’s wearing a muscle tank, and he’s just gleaming right now with what seems to be remnants of sweat from a workout.

Prompto ordinarily would have found that kind of thing gross, but the more he thinks about those arms that are now flexed and writing down whatever it is on a sticky note, the more Prompto wishes that he dressed better today.

The others are well--isn’t there a saying somewhere about birds who are the same feathers, flock together or something? Because man, the guy who’s sitting beside tattooed, is decked out in what Prompto could only really describe as the bad boy aesthetic with the band t-shirt, leather jacket, perfectly pushed back hair with a spicy side shave. Except he’s without the signature scowl and ‘I have a totally sad sob story’ kind of vibe about him that is usually depicted with most bad boys in terribly written fiction.

“Aye, sure. Why not spread some positivity today?” the band t-shirt says with a bit of a grin.

Prompto shoots him a finger gun, and the other’s smile grows before reaching his hand out to receive the sticky note that Noctis is now handing him.

He turns to the only woman at the table, who looks if anything bored out of her mind, and probably close to stabbing her laptop with the pen that Noctis has given her without any fear whatsoever. Prompto in fact makes the mistake of locking eyes with her as she glares at him, before writing furiously and quickly on her own sticky note and then giving it to leather jacket guy who then hands both his and her notes to Noctis. Noctis accepts both and barely spares a glance at what they wrote as he waits for the last of their group to finish his own message.

Prompto hums and tells them about their, okay, well not his, but the club’s planned events for the future in the meantime in the silence between them, because he’s good at that--talking without any prompting (ha!).

Noctis nods along, a bit wide eyed, as if he’s hearing it the first time too, which could possibly be the case given how short-term his memory is sometimes. It’s concerning really how after every exam Noctis takes, he forgets everything and anything on it as if the slate is wiped clean.

Tattooed guy had finished a while back already but leaves Prompto to finish his tirade before he shoots him a grin, a lil lopsided, a lil cute honestly, and hands his note to Prompto instead of Noctis.

“For you,” he says and there’s something about the deepness of his voice that shakes Prompto in his boots. Only slightly of course, nothing more.

“Ah thanks!” Prompto responds cheerfully in an instant, before he gets up from the table because as much as he sort of likes to stick around, to at least get their names, he doesn’t have much time to waste when there’s more sticky notes to be written. “Hope you guys have a good rest of your day!”

He waves at them and Noctis proceeds to follow after.

The group waves back at him, and there’s still that grin that’s on the tattooed guy’s face. Prompto tries not to stare too hard before he walks away and finally glances at the note that he holds in the palm of his hand.

In a lovely handwritten scrawl it reads:

_You’re beautiful, remember that._

Huh.

When Prompto and Noctis come back to the booth with an abundance of good wishes and a pretty hefty stack of notes written out, Lunafreya congratulates them on a job well done, coheres Prompto to help them out another time before dashing off to an afternoon class she has, leaving Noctis to clean up the booth since their allotted time slot at the table is about to come to a stop.

Prompto goes to work sorting out where and what area to stick the notes on. Either on the trifold they currently have up or later on, on some unsuspecting locker with a student who hopefully would need a pick-me-up, while Noctis starts to pack up the flyers they have and collect all the pens that have scattered across the table.

It is at this moment that Noctis chooses violence.

“Hey, so he was totally hitting on you.” Noctis deadpans as he passes him a stray note that will be placed up later.

Prompto drops the sticky note given to him by the other. “What-”

It flutters to the ground between them. Noctis goes to pick it up before he continues.

“Yeah you didn’t notice?”

“Wasn’t he just being friendly?”

Noctis snorts. “Yeah there’s friendly, and then there’s whatever he was trying to do.”

Prompto is completely and inconceivably in denial. “Nah, definitely not.”

Noctis stares at him and doesn’t say anything else. Prompto squirms and jumps in place as if to shake off the look. It’s the kind of look that Prompto has seen before, usually the times in which he’s doing something stupid and Noctis is judging him but nicely as a friend. It’s appreciated for the most part but not this time because he honestly cannot believe that someone like _him_ would give him the time of day.

The thought dissipates just as quickly though because once he does think about it, Prompto knows he’s a joy to be around, and a delight for anyone who’s ever met him, and honestly he’s a great catch so he doesn’t not see it either.

“You’re right. Anyone is lucky enough to have a crush on me,” Prompto eventually says with a hard nod of his head, as he’s made up his conviction.

Noctis laughs and pats Prompto on the shoulder, by now already used to the way that Prompto’s mind works. “Love you man.”

Prompto returns the gesture easily, basking in the support he’s receiving. “You too.”

The next week is spent with Prompto trying to figure out a way to see that dude again, and despite the numerous times he’s ‘helped’ out at the club, the person doesn’t appear anymore and like as much as Prompto likes to be the one chased, he’s also not the kind of person to just stand around and take it. So, the next step for him is to take matters into his own hands.

There’s not much he can obviously do given the lack of knowledge he has--no name, no major, and no common friends and so he takes the one thing he does know and hope for the best.

Prompto is going to work out.

(“That’s a first,” Noctis mutters when Prompto suggests the idea to hopefully see the tattooed man again. Since you know, the first time they met, it was quite obvious that dude came from the gym.)

Though there’s this other thing on top of everything else, where the university is large and Prompto, subjectively is small and the chances of running into this dude is less than none especially if they don’t have coinciding schedules to one day ‘accidentally’ run into each other. But Prompto is nothing if not persistent and well, stubborn.

The first day, Prompto comes out of the work-out disappointed and exhausted because he did actually do some running which helped with the nerves but did not help with the soreness afterwards.

The second day is another day of pretending to lift weights and running (again because that’s the only thing he can do in the gym without looking like a fool).

The third leaves Prompto with a heavy sigh but a kind of rejuvenation from all the working out he’s done. In fact he’s sort of thinking now to incorporate this into his weekly routine because it’s honestly nice and when he’s running, all the thoughts he has spinning in his head at hyperspeed quiets down for the moment.

(“You should run with me!” Prompto suggests, as if he’s not suggesting something that Noctis would rather throw himself off a cliff over, than actually do.

“Yeah no, I’m gonna go take a nap in the library. See you after,” Noctis responds with salute before heading off to find a good secluded corner somewhere to make his own.)

It’s actually on the fifth day, that after his post-workout, Prompto happens upon the table he had once found the tattoo guy and his friends sitting around except he’s alone and now planning to use the table to actually do some productive work before his next class.

That’s why it was sort of unexpecting because Prompto is zeroed in on his readings and doesn’t hear the voice that comes up from behind him, at least not till there’s a tap on his shoulder.

Prompto, in a sort of daze because what the fuck are academic words, turns around and takes an earbud out before locking eye contact with the person who had tapped him. And it was as if that very moment, all his prayers were answered.

His jaw drops for a millisecond before he picks it up and grins because if there’s anything that Prompto is stellar at, is how easily he can adjust to a situation. (Honestly, maybe he should add that to his resume under his list of qualifications.)

“Hey it's you!” Prompto says and with enough gusto to ignore the fact it’s sort of a very cheesy greeting.

“Hey,” Tattoo dude responds with his own smile, the same smile he saw that first day and Prompto sits there sort of dumbfounded before shaking himself out of it.

“Oh, did you want the table?” Prompto asks, a bit concerned and goes to close his laptop, but the dude hurriedly stops him.

“No, no!” he says with a bit of a chuckle. “I just recognized you and wanted to drop by and say hi.”

Prompto pauses in the middle of his cleanup and looks at him again. “Oh, then do you want to sit down?” he asks. His inner monologue won’t shut the fuck up at this point but Prompto tries his best to ignore them.

The dude doesn’t respond and instead chooses to sit down across from him, placing his bag down at his feet. “So are you still advertising for the club?”

Prompto shakes his head. “Nah, that event with the notes was last week and I was only really helping out a friend who’s in it.”

There’s a moment there as if he had just delivered some bad news before whatever it was, was gone.

“Aw damn, then I missed my chance,” he responds with a jut of his lips and Prompto just… looks, respectively obviously.

“Missed your chance on what?” he questions before realizing something. “Actually speaking of missing a chance, what was your name? I didn’t catch it the last time.”

“Oh yeah, it’s Gladiolus, but Gladio for short. Everyone else calls me that,” Gladio says and Prompto just repeats the name in silence after to remember. Not as if he’d forget anyways but it’d just be really embarrassing if he ever did.

“Well nice to meet you then Gladio,” Prompto cheerily says and there’s now a smile on his face that he cannot control for the life of him.

“You too, hope you don’t mind me crashing your studying like this.” Gladio answers before rummaging through his own bag to pull out his own laptop.

“Course not, it’s the more the merrier really,” Prompto says with a nod of his head. “I was only doing my readings anyways before my class.” He ignores the fact there have been many times in which study sessions never really are study sessions in the end for him whenever he would hang out with his friends. It’s nice though, maybe for once he can actually do some work this time in the presence of someone else.

“Nice, more than I’d do for my classes,” Gladio says with a snort as he clicks through the screen of his laptop. He looks up from his screen. “Hey do have a pen and notepad though? I just wanted to write something down.”

Prompto tries not to look too curious and nods. He had stolen said supplies afterwards with the permission of Lunafreya of course and goes to take them both out to give to Gladio.

“Here you go,” Prompto says.

“Thanks,” Gladio responds and writes something down, his other hand--arm really (nice wow, okay Prompto sees the flex, hello!), sort of covering what he’s doing not like Prompto is trying to snoop or anything though. “Here,” he says a second later, giving the notepad back to him.

“What-” he asks, a bit lost at first before he glances at the notepad to see a set of numbers and in the same beautiful scrawl he recognizes from the first time around: _Wanna have some dinner sometime?_

He blinks and then glances at Gladio with a bit of an incredulous expression on his face. “You couldn’t have asked this outloud?”

Gladio laughs. “Yeah, but it’s sort of like how we first met, builds up the romance don’t you think?”

Prompto wheezes, and points an accusing finger. “So you were flirting with me!”

“Yeah I was,” Gladio responds almost too easily. “Did it work?”

Prompto doesn’t answer right away and tears off the note, sticking it to his laptop before handing it back to Gladio with a pen. It’s not like he’s ever gonna admit that he spent almost a week just working out in hopes of bumping into Gladio again like some kind of fated meeting from a budget movie of a comedy romance.

“Well,” Prompto huffs, with a bit of his own smile as he takes this all in a stride. “Maybe write something else, and I’ll think about it.”

Gladio accepts the pen and lets out another laugh (and Prompto feels like he can hear his heartbeat in his ears now). “Consider it done.”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by my friend who told me this guy was trying to hit on me via sticky note but I didn't believe her and I never saw the dude again because this is the reality of having different majors and a big campus xoxo. Hope you're doing well, you had nice writing and it was a cute message.
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/strryskaeya)


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